In some types of valve assemblies, such as poppet valve assemblies, a valve stem may be axially displaceable within a valve chamber in order to open and close the valve. A particular valve assembly may also be configured to have a cross-bore traversing the valve chamber. At the point where the cross-bore breaks through or opens into the valve chamber, it may be found that sharp edges, burrs or other unwanted cutting/drilling/machining artefacts may remain present at the interface between the valve chamber and the cross-bore. Such artefacts (hereinafter generally referred to as “sharp edges”) can be problematic, particularly during assembly of a valve. They may cause damage to softer parts of the valve assembly such as resilient (e.g. elastomeric) seals which traverse the cross-bore chamber during assembly or more generally during use. Such damage can be responsible for subsequent leaks in the valves, high re-work rates in assembly, or premature failure of the valve seals.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved valve design which reduces or eliminates risk of damage to softer components such as sealing elastomeric O-rings.